the lilac files

Sunday, 10 November 2013

My Journey With The Elizabethans

Plaits, Twists + Ribbon Inspiration;

The Elizabethan ladies would use ribbons in their hair, not only for decoration but for structure and support as there were no hair pins or clips and despite us having the structural devices for keeping hair intact now a days, a ribbon is still not an unusual thing to see in somebodies hair. Take the above for instance, an Oscar De La Renta runway show. Ribbons, plaits and twists were the key look chosen for the collection.

Initial Collage Designs;

These are collages I have done, by taking a contemporary hairstyle and collaging on top to create an Elizabethan inspired hairstyle. These may potentially be the beginning of my Final Piece for my timed assessment. These collages are an idealistic take on my ideas.

New Elizabethan Hair;

More Research into Elizabeth;

The greatest thing I have learnt from Elizabeth, and as cliche as it may sound, is female empowerment. This project has really opened my eyes to the strength woman have had long before 'feminism' was an acceptable title. Queen Elizabeth I was fair and kind, yet intelligent and with the heart and roar of a lion which many men dared to tame, capture and control, yet somewhere along the lines, this beautiful lady was so far ahead of her times, she had no idea the impact her story could have on a twenty-one year old make-up + hair design student.

Elizabethan Inspired Research;

Doe Deere ^ founder and CEO of LimeCrime, has been one of my main sources of inspiration for this project, in these images above and below for me, she depicts everything that a New Elizabethan should.

Experimenting at home;

Here are some images taken in my room, in preparation for my Digital Image photo shoot. I wanted to incorporate the things I had been learning my my Hair classes, and was also very inspired by my Elizabethan research.

I got some sponges and old cloths and sewed them together to create a structure that I could then wrap the hair around to create a toupee kindaa thing. I also wanted to make sure that it incorporated ribbons and so that it supported itself (inspired by the Elizabethan's not using hair pins). Over all I enjoyed the process but think that using some sort of wadding instead of sponge would be easier to work with.

This is just an experiment, NOT final images.

Final Test Shoots;

More Elizabethan Research;

After reflecting some of my research and my thoughts of my final outcome, for some reason the two weren't connecting until I found this images, which has sparked a new lease of creative thinking for my final outcome. I want my New Elizabethan character to have a regal and powerful presence, but not too well kept, and only have hints of Elizabethan characteristics as opposed to recreating something directly.

I have been so taken a back by this image, and I am not sure if its the subtle hints of Elizabethan characteristics, or the dynamic textures or possibly the subdue, yet powerful colours chosen. I think the most inspiring thing about this image is the way that it made me stop and look and think. That is what I would like my final image to deliver, a thought provoking experience.

An interesting Youtube Channel find, I thought this look was really simple and reminded me of the Elizabethan hair twists the girls used back then.

New Elizabethans -

Here are four people I believe are 'New Elizabethans'. They have impacted the way our society works, whether that be for good or bad and I don't think the world we know would be the same without them;

Ronald McDonald. An internationally recognised character that I believe is pivotal to our fast paced society, the idea of wanting everything immediately; bigger, better and cheaper than before. Society has lost 'the attention to detail' and 'made with love' quality that we once thrived upon. Therefore I believe that McDonald is a physical representation of modern day consumerism.

Hugh Hefner. The creator of Playboy. For me, the enterprise he built was the starting point of a whole new take on the female generation. Playboy was instrumental in determining 'sex' as a socially acceptable household discussion topic. In turn, stripping glamour modelling of its initial taboo.

This is not to say that 'sex' wasn't selling long before his emblematic bunny logo hit the shelves. However, because of Hefner's supposed 'sex cult', young, impressionable girls find themselves aspiring to be, or similar to, WAGs and glamour models. It's a simple, yet effective, business model and many women today thrive on building their 'career' through baring all. Unsurprisingly, men all over the world rejoiced the day Hugh came to earth.

Walt Disney. Despite the many stories of being a maniac and a fraudster, some where along the line, in almost every bodies life, Disney has affected you. Whether that be as a child holding on to something so captivating and full of hope, or entering adulthood and having your Disney bubble popped by the harsh reality that fairytales are only in the movies.

Our society is all about escapism, avoiding the disappointment of prince charming beating up Snow White behind closed doors, or even the forgotten princess dying of cancer. Whatever your opinion on Disney, it does exactly what it says on the tin.

Edward Bernays. Whilst most of you will have never heard of this man, all have been affected by his mind in one way or another. He was the nephew of Sigmund Freud and, like his uncle, was fascinated by the complexities of the human mind. Bernays founded the first ever PR company and one of his most famous campaigns was making smoking for women socially acceptable. Before Bernays, women smoking in public was unheard of; there were designated areas and most were too ashamed to use them. With cigarette companies in crisis, Bernays put together a campaign in which he persuaded designers to create dresses in the exact colour of the cigarette boxes, and got together a huge marching parade of models walking through New York City smoking, he also suggested that the Statue of Liberty was smoking, which was then seen as patriotic.

In 2011, in America alone, there was counted as over 7,000 companies alone specialising in PR, speaking volumes for the propaganda and manipulation we face every day. It is thanks to Edward Bernays that there is 'no such thing as bad publicity'.

My chosen Design -

In class, we came to the group decision that this was the design that I was going to create in 3D. It wasn't my first choice, but I think it is a good starting point for a design. I like the idea of the bun and I also like the idea of creating a head piece for on top of the head.

Here are some of my initial designs. I want the bun to be big, and circular. I want there to be an element of Geisha as well as linking the Contemporary Elizabethan look. I like the idea of 3 balls on the head, but structurally I am not sure how I am going to create that? - Polystyrene balls is my first guess?

Here is a doodle, just some quick ideas of symbolism for the hair piece. I am thinking in a symbolistic way -

3 balls to represent the three lions of England

white virginal veil type of thing for the hair ball to rest on. - marriage to God or country?

21st century symbol could be tobacco or cigarettes? - In homage to Edward Bernays.

I ordered 3 polystyrene balls from Ebay, and began wrapping the hair around them and using pins and piercing the ball. I lined the extensions up precisely so that I could create a build up of layers and texture. I decided to crimp the hair after a few play arounds, because the hair was sitting too flat without the texture. The base of the hair piece was made from an old metal coat hanger, some netting and ribbon (the joys of being a poor student)! I got the large pins and inserted them from the base, into the larger ball to secure it, and after a few practises found the best way for it to stay on my head was by pinning it with hair pins.

Assessment - How to

Scalp + Hair Consultation;

Age - 21

Allergies - None

Skin type - dry and sensitive

Any products that do not agree with the skin - no

Any Scalp conditions - small amount Psoriasis when stressed - nothing to treat as goes away on its own.

How many times a week is the hair washed - 3 times

Equipment List;

Pin Tail Comb

Hair pins

Hair spray

Hair - Step by Step;

Step 1

Back comb all hair by diving into sections using a pin tail comb

Divide hair into a centre middle parting

Step 2

Take a piece of hair from the middle parting start to twist down the side collecting more hair as you go along until you reach the end of the section (pin hair in place as you’re going around)

Repeat the same on the other side

Step 3

Attach the hair piece on top by pinning the sides into the back combed hair on top.

Seal with Hairspray

Peer Review Evaluation

Myself and Bryony (my partner) practiced my design in stages. Firstly we focused on the make up. I gave Bryony my face charts to take home and have a look at, with a product list in preparation for when we got together next. Bryony took it upon herself to try the make up design out on herself and sent me some images, this made me a lot more confident about Bryony executing my design. and over all I was so happy with how it had turned out. We then practiced a few times on myself, but funnily enough the best it turned out was on the assessment day. The hair we practiced in lesson, was extremely straight forward as the head-piece had already been made prior.

Bryony looked very well turned out, and seemed relaxed on the day of the assessment, which then made me more relaxed as I knew I was in good, reliable hands.

There isn’t anything I would have done differently with regard to the application of makeup, it turned out exactly how I wanted it to, I couldn’t have been happier.

Bryony went above and beyond with regard to my design, she listened, took it upon herself to practice the look in her own time and kept calm and focused during the assessment. I am really proud of our team work and final outcome.

Self Evaluation

My initial reaction to Bryony’s design, was relief. It looked like a well thought out, yet simple to execute design. My only concern was creating the volume of hair. I wasn’t too keen on the idea of crimping the hair, as I didn’t know if would look a little tacky, but it surprised me and turned out perfectly. It gave the exact result Bryony was after, created texture and I realized that by backcombing I could keep the texture of the crimping, but triple it in size. There isn’t anything I would change with regard to the final design. I was unfortunately very unwell on the day of the assessment and had just been let out of hospital, which is so typical, but I managed to push through and despite not feeling 100%, I really gave it my all. Bryony said she was happy with the final images.

Saturday, 9 November 2013

Elizabethan Hair Quote

'My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;

Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress when she walks treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven,
I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare'

This is one of Shakespeare's most popular sonnets, satirising the classic sonnets of the period. Shakespeare details the imperfections of his 'mistress' rather than highlighting her beauty.

I have chosen this image, as I feel it is an ugly representation of the Elizabethan woman. The skin tone is a murky grey colour, the eyes are dull, the hair isn't a golden haze and the lips have a dull and distressed tint.

Hair Descriptions

I was asked to give my interpretation on 'modern' and 'chic hair through visual image.

I have chosen this as the hairstyle I believe to represent 'modern'. For me, this represents a modern hairstyle by the use of flamboyant colours and the style is very current and on trend. It is a play on the '90s girl power' look but in a pretty and whimsical way.

I have chosen this as the hairstyle I believe represents 'chic'. For me, the key to a chic style is to look as effortless as possible. Parisian style is the epitome of 'chic' and celebrities such as Alexa Chung and Sienna Miller

Redheads + Royalty

The Brief :

Redheads and Royalty

The ‘Redheads and Royalty’ brief focuses upon collating historical research and technical observations of the hairstyles used in the Elizabethan era. You may begin by considering the hairstyles you have identified in paintings from the Elizabethan era, but also consider that the various hairstyles and hair colours used by Elizabethan women also had references to their age, class and status.

You are required to create a variety of historically accurate Elizabethan hairstyles in class, but you will also devise a more contemporary version using clear references to a style of Elizabethan hair you are inspired by. Develop the project by referencing contemporary versions of Elizabethan hairstyles – do this by looking through newspapers, magazines and websites. Gather visual evidence that references Elizabethan hair and begin to consider how you may adapt it to a contemporary style.

How can you use the ideas within both historical and contemporary images to inform the design of a contemporary hairstyle?

You must suggest through image and text, at least 3 solutions of how you will achieve this and blog all of your research and findings. The journey from the Elizabethan look to the contemporary look must be clearly stated.

Write a short analysis of how you have interpreted the contemporary hairstyle. What do you intend it to say about the wearer?

Design a hairstyle that will work on you. Create consultation notes for how to create the style in a concise way and collect materials for constructing the look*. This information will be supplied to your partner before the assessments for them to create upon you during the two hours assigned.

*Please look into the Universities hair department resources and explore extra materials available from outside the university if required.

Please note: The assessment will highlight your personal working methodology, technical skill and your ability to communicate your own design to your partner, as well as your ability to execute their own design given to you.

My Interpretation Of This Brief;

My initial thoughts of this brief are how eager I am to discover the different techniques and methods the Elizabethans used in order to create the infamous dramatic and captivating looks that are so distinctive and recognisable through the ages and right up to now.

I want to create an image that portrays the classic beauty from the Elizabethan era but with a modern and dynamic twist. I want to explore other cultures and see if I can find a link between them all in the sense of make up and hair and explore in depth how the cultures could collide and create an explosion of time warp beautifulness.

I want to further my skill by practising old techniques with new equipment and seeing what different images and styles we all develop as individuals within a group.

I want to create a character visually worthy of being a New Elizabethan.

The Elizabethans

Who were they?

The Elizabethan era, known as The Golden Age, spanned from 1558 to 1603. The coronation of Elizabeth, the first female monarch, marked a renaissance that inspired national pride and a naval triumph over rivalling Spain. This period in history marked the lives of William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. A time that England thrived on literature and the exploration of new worlds.

Queen Elizabeth I

Commonly known as 'The Virgin Queen', Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, executed just two and a half years after her birth. A truly noble queen, she aimed to reign by good council and fairness. It was expected that Elizabeth would marry, produce and heir to continue the Tudor Line. However, she famously defied these expectations and chose to keep England safe under rule instead of cowering under patriarchy. One of England's greatest military victories saw Queen Elizabeth I overcome the 'Spanish Armada' led by Philip II, attempting to overthrow her thrown.

Fashions Inspired By Elizabeth I

Elizabeth is the epitome of typical 'Elizabethan Fashion', with her ghostly complexion and golden orange hair, her high hairline and crimson cheeks, she was the Kate Moss of her day and an icon to all women about at that time.

Pale skin - If you had clean, pale skin you were thought of in an upper class way, as those with dirty, and sun kissed skin were often peasants working in the fields. The queen however was not as natural a beauty as we are lead to believe by her pristine portraits. 'Ceruse' a lead and vinegar paste was applied to the face, neck and any visible skin area to achieve a porcelain and perfectly pale finish. The lead was very unhealthy and caused numerous skin problems. Some doctors around at that time advised against it and new remedies were sought up such as - egg white, talc, alum and tin ash. Small Pox was a huge epidemic and concealing the face with these types of paste hid many scars and imperfections.

Red lips + cheeks - 'Fucus' a technique still used today in lipsticks to achieve a deep red, is simply crushed beetles spread on to the lip and cheek. This is something that women in history have been doing for a very long time. Cleopatra was said to have used a mixture of crushed carmine beetles and ants to colour her lips red.

The hair + brows - The hairline was extremely high, many plucked their hairline by up to an inch to create an aristocratic look of the then, very fashionable large forehead. The brows were also plucked to give a perfectly arched brow. Similar to now a days, there is the 'it' hair colour, but unlike us, the Elizabethans didn't have a home dye from Boots, they had to find alternatives for creating that sought after Golden Age, golden hair. Such as ; urinating on their hair, and if that didn't do the trick, they opted for hair pieces and wigs.

Portraits of Elizabeth in Chronological Order